1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of electrical connectors. More particularly, this invention relates to a circuit board edge connector fabricated by molding and plating or etching metalization patterns on the plastic.
2. Background of the Invention
Circuit card edge connectors are widely used throughout the electronics industry to mate various circuit cards together for various reasons. For example, such connectors are frequently wired together in large card cages in communications equipment such as telephone office equipment. They are similarly used in computer equipment in large and small racks. In personal computers and other devices, such connectors are used to mate together mother and daughter boards. For example, in personal computers such connectors may be used to couple modems, memory cards, disk drive controllers and the like to the main computer mother board.
Currently available circuit card edge connectors are somewhat costly devices which contain relatively large numbers of metal and plastic parts and which are soldered to a circuit board. The present invention provides an integral circuit card edge connector which may be fabricated as a part of a printed wiring board (PWB) eliminating secondary operations required for installation.